Simona Halep has hit back at Caroline Wozniacki after the Dane said she should not have been given a wild card for the Miami Open. (More Tennis News)
Halep made a quick return to top-level action after the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced her doping ban from four years to nine months two weeks ago.
The two-time former grand-slam champion tested positive for the blood-boosting drug Roxadustat at the US Open in 2022 and was handed the long suspension last September.
However, CAS accepted Halep바카라s explanation that she had unwittingly ingested the substance in a contaminated supplement, with the ruling coming 17 months after she was first provisionally suspended.
There has been a lot of support for the Romanian, who was defeated by Paula Badosa in her first match in Florida on Tuesday, but Wozniacki took a different view speaking to reporters after a 6-1 6-4 win over Clara Burel.
바카라I바카라ve always liked Simona,바카라 said Wozniacki, also a former world number one. 바카라We바카라ve always had a good relationship.
바카라If someone has tested positive for doping, I understand why a tournament wants a big star in the tournament, but it바카라s my personal belief, and it바카라s not a knock on anyone, that I don바카라t think people should be awarded wild cards afterwards.
바카라If you want to come back, and it바카라s been a mistake, I understand, you should work your way up from the bottom.
바카라Simona바카라s situation has obviously dragged on for a long time. She got her suspension reduced. It wasn바카라t a clearance, it was a reduced sentence.
바카라I just hope for a clean sport. That바카라s all I want. I want to have good role models for the young generation. It바카라s a sport that has a lot of money in it, a lot of competitiveness, a lot of competitors. I want a fair fight.바카라
Halep was less than impressed by Wozniacki바카라s comments, responding: 바카라Why did she say that?
바카라I didn바카라t do anything wrong. I didn바카라t cheat. I didn바카라t dope. Thank you to the tournament for giving me the wild card and have the possibility to play in such a big tournament. It was great to be back.
바카라Only one person being negative about me is not that important because I have hundreds of people that are giving me love, so I will take that.바카라
Halep looked like she had never been away as she raced to the first set in just 38 minutes but Spaniard Badosa, who is herself coming back from long-term injury problems, dug in to win 1-6 6-4 6-3.
At her post-match press conference, Halep said: 바카라I missed this. I had emotions, but positive emotions; the crowd supporting me was so nice.
바카라The level of tennis was pretty good 바카라 unexpected for most of the people. I think I did a good job today. I바카라m happy with my first match coming back. I would rate it as a special day, honestly.바카라
The 32-year-old admitted her career would have been over had the four-year ban been upheld but she remained positive the appeal against it would go her way.
바카라My parents always taught me that good always prevails,바카라 she said.
바카라I trust it 100 per cent from the first day until the last day that the truth will come out and the decision will be taken in a fair way.
바카라I knew I바카라m clean. I knew I didn바카라t do anything wrong. I believed that it바카라s impossible to stay four years for something that doesn바카라t exist.바카라
Elsewhere, Venus Williams, 43, remains without a win since last August after a 6-3 6-3 defeat by Russian Diana Shnaider, who is 24 years her junior.
